The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to imaging systems and techniques, and more particularly to detectors having selectable configurations for varying radiation dosages.
Different types of X-ray detectors may be used for different applications. For example, complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-based detectors may be used for some applications, and amorphous silicon-based detectors may be used for others. CMOS-based detectors may provide substantially lower electronic noise than amorphous silicon-based detectors in some applications. For example, CMOS-based detectors may provide lower electronic noise in relatively low radiation saturation dose environments. However, when the amount of radiation used is increased to, for example, 5 milliRoentgen (mR) per frame, the level of electronic noise in a CMOS-based detector may no longer provide a benefit compared to traditional amorphous silicon-based X-ray detectors.
One component of the electronic noise of a CMOS-based detector is proportional to the capacitance of the capacitor that holds electric charge produced by the detector. The higher the saturation dose or amount of radiation used in an exposure, the more electrons or charge will need to be held by the capacitor, and the larger the capacitance of the capacitor will be. With larger capacitance, more electronic noise will be present.
Thus, a CMOS-based detector with a low enough capacitance to provide a desired low level of noise for low radiation dosage exposures may not be appropriate for use with exposures at higher levels of radiation dosage. Similarly, a CMOS-based detector with a high enough capacitance for use at higher levels of radiation dosage exposures may have more electronic noise than is desirable for exposures using lower levels of radiation dosage. Accordingly, a single detector may not be appropriate for various different exams, and different detectors may be used for different exams. However, use of different detectors results in additional equipment costs, training costs, and maintenance costs, among others, as well as the time and inconvenience associated with switching detectors between procedures or among systems.